


Notes on the Species of Gensokyo

by fremy (nuenuenue)



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Gen, Medical Examination, Medical Jargon, Medical Procedures, Mild Gore, Sex Talk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-29
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-05-23 21:12:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6130216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nuenuenue/pseuds/fremy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yagokoro Eirin is the most talented doctor in Gensokyo. Her patients are, to put it mildly, oddities. These documents are her research notes, her patients, and her experiences... and the origin point of an incident.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Welcome to The Clinic at Eientei. What seems to be troubling you?"

 

* * *

 

**Notes on Species H. E. Nuensis**

_Yagokoro Eirin & Reisen Udonge Inaba  
_

_1\. Introduction and Patient Synopsis_

This manual is intended as a medical and scientific guide to unique features of youkai species Homo Exotica Nuensis. This manual will assist in the diagnosis of species-specific anatomy and health conditions. Unless stated otherwise, anatomy is assumed identical to that of H. Sapiens, as is standard.

Patient entered care of Yagokoro Eirin on ██/█/████ at Eientei, reporting pain (a “pinching, itching sensation”) inside the main body upper right wing. Patient and guardian (bake-danuki) consented to vivisection of the affected region in exchange for waiver of medical fees. Patient cited “[needing] to know what it is for next time,” implying that it might be a common issue for the species.

_2\. Superficial Features_

Species presents two series of six asymmetrical wings on back§3.a, arranged in vertically-oriented sets of three, and terminating at the scapulae in sockets§3.b. Left wings present as "arrows," and right wings present as "half scissor blades on sticks," for lack of a simpler description (see plate 1). Nervous system is present within these wings as any other limb; patients should be anesthetized when these wings are being operated on.

These wings present unique structures that transcend basic mammalian anatomy, and appear to be simultaneously vegetable, mechanical, and plastic in nature, despite containing mammalian DNA matching that of the patient.

As only one specimen is known to exist, this research assumes the specimen to be archetypal.

 

* * *

 

"It hurts really bad, Mami... My wing's all pinched up..."

"Hush hush, come now. We've done all we can, just wait for the sleeping gas to kick in, hm? It'll be over soon."

Yagokoro Eirin finished sterilizing her hands and slipped on a pair of surgical gloves. She was in a full surgical smock and clear face visor, and had everything covered in two layers. Safety first.

She flashed them a cheery smile. Keeping the patient calm was half the surgery. She spoke through her mask: "Both of you, there's nothing to worry about. You know I've operated on half the people in Gensokyo, and I've never hurt them - more than I had to." She winked, sending the challenge.

Nue gaped at her for a second, then laughed loudly. "Hehehehhhmm!!! Listen lady, I've been through a lot, y'know? Them humans, they don't like extra-weird weirdos like me. I can take whatever you're gonna do to me, no problem. Heck, I don't even need the sleepi-"

"You do, dear." Mamizou put her hand on Nue's head with a bit of force. "Hold still for the little rabbit, hmm? Don't get so wound up..." She shot a glare at Eirin.

Eirin just kept smiling. Now that the nue had a laugh, she wasn't stressed anymore - Eirin saw the small girl's shoulders relax as she stopped clenching her jaw. "I'm sorry to ask you, Mamizou, but could you step out now? We have to keep the room sterile during the surgery."

Mamizou's glare broke. "Oh, oh right, yes, of course. Um... Nue, you'll be alright without me, for just a little while?"

Nue pouted. "I'm not a little kid, y'know. I'll be fine, oba-chan!"

Mamizou sighed at that and covered her face with a hand. She muttered, "My, my. I should have never told you my age, hm...?" She ran her fingers up through her own hair. "Well, don't cry for dear Miss Eirin when you bleed all over the floor, hmhmm!" The tanuki made her way for the door as she produced a pipe and started to pack it. And now the guardian wasn't stressed anymore either. The hardest part was over, Eirin thought.

Nue stuck her tongue out at "oba-chan" as she left. "I'll show her, after this surgery I'm gonna come up at her when she's asleep and BLOOGABLOOGA and I'm gonna get her all bloody annnnndddd..."

The anesthesia began to kick in. "Ohh, whoah, hm... Hey miss rabbit, this stuff's pretty good..."

Reisen took her foot off of the gas pump and checked Nue's pulse. "Yes, it sure is, huh? You're not going to feel a thing, and soon you'll be all better, little one. That's why I'm here." She worked the pump a few more times, holding the mask tightly to the young girl's face.

The moon rabbit was in a less extreme getup - surgical gloves and a face mask - but she didn't bother to cover her eyes. No need to worry about accidentally using her ability when the patient was out cold.

And after a few more minutes, Nue Houjuu went out like a light on the operating table.

"Miss Eirin, I think we're ready."

 

* * *

 

_3\. Internals of Unique Features_

_a) Wings/Flight Apparatus_

A cross-section of affected area was taken during procedure, revealing wholly unique anatomical features. See plate 2 for accompanying illustration. Colors are accurate to a sufficient degree as to allow easy recognition of these features in a patient.

  1. Integumentary system: The outer layer of the wing is comprised of a thin (~2mm) layer of protective tissue, which is brightly pigmented. This membrane is rubbery, plasticine, and leathery, and occurs in thousands of thin "sheets" layered on top of each other. Testing of samples failed to determine the nature of this substance, but did rule out a cellular structure. It is also unknown how this coating is produced by the body. During healing after the procedure, the membrane seamlessly melded back together as soon as the wing was set in place.  
  
This membrane is also very easy to ionize due to its layered structure, which is crucial in conjunction with the ferrofluid vesicles (6) to achieve flight.
  2. Cartilage: Instead of bone, the core of the wing is composed of a teardrop-shaped tube of cartilage, with the point of the teardrop oriented upward. Other than its extremely high density, this cartilage is identical to the substance found in the human body. Note that this cartilage does not support the wing, but instead is a surface to which other features (3) adhere.
  3. Hydraulic muscles: The support and musculature of the wing, these vessels operate analogously to the features that allow plants such as the venus flytrap to move. Simply put, the cells of these vessels swell with liquid or drain of liquid to position the wing, in response to nervous stimuli.  
  
Three separate vessels are present: one is found on each side of the cartilage (2), and a third is present underneath the cartilage. This gives the wing three axes of positioning. For example, by inflating the lower muscle, the wing bends upward; by next inflating the upper forward muscle, the wing pushes up and backwards.  
  
This gives each wing the following approximate ranges of motion from resting: 45 degrees upward and downward, 90 degrees backward, and up to 30 degrees forward if the arms are moved out of the way. Additionally, the wings can be extended or pulled in snugly to the body by rotating them at the joint with the shoulder.  
  
Care should be taken not to bend the wings beyond comfortable flexibility during a procedure, as internal bruising may occur.
  4. Adherent surface: A firm, sticky layer of an unknown substance that adheres the adjacent regions of the anatomy together. This layer nearly breaks the "skin" (1) with its close proximity, and appears to be inorganic, almost as though it is a separate substance gluing three species worth of organs and tissue together.
  5. Flesh: Ordinary flesh, with attendant nervous system and blood vessels. The nervous system is seen to connect to the hydraulic muscles (3) and ferrofluid vesicles (6), giving the species fine control over every part of the wing in which they are present.
  6. Ferrofluid vesicles: The most baffling and unfamiliar portion of this species' anatomy. A series of ~30 vessels per wing which are similar in structure to straight, parallel blood vessels. They occur just under the "skin" (1) within the flesh (5) of the wing. These tubes are filled with a ferrofluid, apparently elemental iron particles suspended in blood serum, with all oxygen filtered out.  
  
Whereas most species of youkai use magic or special abilities to fly, H. E. Nuensis apparently achieves flight using these vesicles. They first choose their direction of motion by posing the wings to face it, then ionize the air in that direction by pulsing a nervous current through the facing vesicles. Then the opposite side of the wing turns on its current without pulsing, which induces an opposite static electrical charge in the sheets of "skin" (1). This causes air to flow rapidly from in front of the wing to the back, "pulling" the youkai through the air. These charges are always opposite, and they alternate more rapidly than current instrumentation can detect. The telltale sign of this process is the smell of ozone - lightning in the air.  
  
Simply put, the youkai buzzes along like a bee, with its method of flight barely perceptible to us. During patient intake, it was determined that conscious thought is not involved in the flight process - it is "automatic, just like breathing."  
  
These vesicles, when drained or damaged, replenish themselves by "leeching" ferrous material from the bloodstream. This necessitates H. E. Nuensis to ingest more iron than most youkai, but (as seen in this case) care must be taken not to over-supplement. It seems rare that these organelles would be damaged due to the flexibility and toughness of the wing.



Note that the "scissor blade" of the wings on the right side was found to be largely ornamental or vestigial (below the dashed lines - see plate 1) and contained none of the hydraulics (3) or ferrofluid vesicles (6) that are present in the rest of the wing, making them immobile.

 

* * *

 

"O-oh my god, what the hell is that!"

Eirin sighed. "Reisen, that's the fifth time you've said that already. Don't be a fool."

She gritted her teeth. It was already hard enough to maintain the spell keeping all of the liquids in the girl's wings, but the moon rabbit was acting as though she'd seen an alien. This level of research on a barely-documented youkai was a major breakthrough, and she really didn't need silliness.

Reisen nervously moved on to a new blank page and resumed note-taking. "Well, it's... just... we've never seen anything like this...?"

Eirin nodded silently, as she tugged out one of the nodules for a better look. She pondered it over for a moment. "It's iron." Reisen scribbled. "So she's got liquid metal in her wings - no, a suspension, metal in liquid. And this one hardened into a stone."

Eirin mused over the puzzle in front of her. Metallic serum. Moves like a plant. Coated in rubber. It's all attached to a girl. She then noticed her forceps didn't want to let go of the nodule. "Get me a magnet, Reisen. Oh, and the electrical pulse generator. I need to test something."

She tried a few types of current on the wing, and applied it in different places, until she hit on just the right combination. The girl lifted right off the table, and Reisen stifled another yelp. "Notes. Flies via electrical impulse. Make a marginal note to compare with E. Electricus for nervous system, I'll have you check around Suzunaan for a book on them later."

Reisen stared at the scene as she scribbled in the margin. Eirin just hooked up a battery to an unconscious girl with a wing half-chopped off and it made her float. "It's like... it's like someone pasted together a bunch of different creatures, and a few machines, and called it a day? I don't know, Eirin, it just seems like... y'know... like she might be-"

"Reisen."

The rabbit yelped.

"This young woman, on my table, is not, an alien."

Reisen was aghast.

"She's a girl, a girl who needs medical attention. She might be some kind of chimaera, she might be the strangest youkai you and I have ever had in surgery, but She - Is - Not - An - Alien. Okay? I spent a few _thousand_ years on the moon, and we saw neither hide nor hair of any - _extraterrestrial organisms_ , because there aren't any. Goodness knows I've looked - but either way, this room is NOT the place to bring superstition. And I don't want you telling the other rabbits about it, not a peep, not even a hint. _None_ of it leaves this room." She positively hissed the last part. "Patient confidentiality is PARAMOUNT."

Reisen shut her mouth and pouted. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Eirin heaved a sigh as she focused her efforts to try and extract the nodule. That was as much of an apology as the moon rabbit was going to get right now. "The obstruction can't be removed by force. We'll have to make an incision at the tip, fill it with saline and let it drain out. Get me a specimen jar at once."

Eirin wasn't sure that Nue was from this planet, herself. But now wasn't the time for that.

 

* * *

 

_b) Bone Structure and Connective Tissues_

A structural analysis of the shoulder region demonstrated how four appendages can connect to one side of the body. See plate 3 for accompanying illustration, demonstrating bone structure and musculature.

Each wing terminates in a rudimentary ball joint where the cartilage of the wing becomes extremely dense, almost matching the density of bone. This joint engages a matching socket joint which is similar in structure to the accompanying shoulder joint (1). Additionally, the dense cartilage spur is connected via four muscles (2-5) to the body of the scapula. These muscles behave as deep layer muscles and should be treated accordingly. As such, this species likely finds it difficult to move their wings via these muscles, being unable to move them individually without extreme concentration. Most of the movement comes from the shoulder itself and from the hydraulic muscles within the wing§3.a.3.

_4\. Procedure and Patient Recovery_

Patient was successfully anesthetized. Vivisection of wing and scapular region revealed metallic nodules lodged throughout the length of one ferrofluid vesicle§3.a.6 and its terminus at the scapula. Chemical analysis confirmed that these masses were of bodily origin, like metallic blood clots. To avoid damage to internal structures, the nodules were removed by draining the vesicle from its outer terminus at the right angle of the wing, at the point where the "scissors handle" begins. These masses (dubbed "Meteoroids of Nue") are stored in solution at catalogue shelf #51.B.33.

Patient was kept for recovery and observation for three days, to ensure that no further steps need be taken. During recovery, patient’s body replenished this ferrofluid through unknown means, averting the need to inject a replacement fluid. Further blood tests and examination revealed that the patient was experiencing hemochromatosis, and was recommended a diet lower in red meat to reduce the high blood iron levels which likely caused the issue.

Reporting no further pain, patient was discharged on ██/██/████.

 

* * *

 

"So all I gotta do is eat less meat? I dunno, Miss Eirin, I really like a juicy big ole' steak..."

Mamizou growled. "You heard the good doctor, dear. Lighter food for you."

"B-But oba-chan!!! What am I gonna do without your rare steaks for dinner!!!!!"

"Hush hush, Nue! This isn't just a clinic, it's someone's house, hmm?"

Nue pouted at that. But Eirin thought she seemed relieved. The girl wasn't wriggling in pain and huffing every other moment, and she was in good spirits despite her bickering.

"Nue, young lady, may I make a suggestion?" Eirin elbowed her way back into the conversation. "I've heard that the Night Sparrow's food stall has some great vegetarian burgers. If you switch between those and your usual favorite, you shouldn't have any problems."

"Oh, that little night sparrow, huhu! I've heard good things about her place, but we haven't gone yet. Nue, since you're feeling better, we'll go there tonight and get you a nice meal, yes!" Both patient and guardian cheered up at the thought.

It looked like her work was done.

*    *    * 

Almost.

"Reisen."

The rabbit spun around from her salad. "Ah, what can I do for you, Miss Eirin?"

It was lunchtime at Eientei, but something was bothering Eirin. She wasn't hungry. "I'm sorry I was short with you the other day, but when I'm with a patient please try to refrain from... you know..."

Reisen bowed to her. "My apologies. I got caught up in the strangeness of the moment."

"And you made sure not to tell anybody about the results of the procedure, yes? Not even the rabbits."

"Ah... Well-"

"No." Eirin stamped her foot. "No! Who? Who did you tell?"

"N-nobody!! There were a few friends of the patient who were asking to see her, that's all..." Reisen wilted.

"And who were they?"

"Uh... There was that black-white magician, and a kappa, a few of the Buddhists,  and... oh, one more - this one really surprised me - you know the mountain goddess?"

Eirin's brow furrowed. "Kanako Yasaka?"

"Yes, that's the one, ah... Well, the Buddhists were just coming to say hello and they brought food, but um..."

"The others asked you leading questions, and you told them things you shouldn't have."

Reisen was on the verge of tears. "P-please... Eirin... you're acting really angry..."

She relented. Eirin stepped across the room and pulled Reisen into her arms. "Sorry. Just... listen, I'll get you some dessert from the human village, don't cry, Reisen. Come, now."

The moon rabbit slowly calmed down. Her breathing stabilized.

"But listen - no, I'm not going to yell, just... When I come back, I need to hear what those three - Marisa, Nitori, and that scheming mountain goddess - I need to hear exactly what they asked you. Can you do that?"

Reisen nodded.

"Good. Mochi?"

Reisen couldn't help but grin, almost imperceptibly. "Bamboo mochi?"

"Not a problem." She kissed the rabbit on the forehead.

*    *    * 

There was definitely a problem, though.

Eirin had practiced medicine for a long time. Any time someone came around to pry for medical information, that person wanted something they could not have. And if they got the tiniest lead, they would just want more. And when someone wanted more of something they could not have, they would do anything to get it.

And people who will do anything - they always bring trouble.


	2. Chapter 2

“Welcome to the clinic at Eientei! Our physician isn't in right now, but I'd be happy to assist you today.”

* * *

Yagokoro Eirin had some errands to run.

“You can handle things for a while, Reisen?”

“Of course! I'm a perfectly capable nurse, thank you very much. Just don't expect me to perform surgery without you here, heheheh...”

Eirin smiled. “Naturally.”

“But, ah – You'd rather go by yourself? I can take care of your chores, you know that.”

“I'd like to get some fresh air.”

Reisen knew what that meant. _I have scores to settle._ She was content to nod and wave as Eirin headed out. Hopefully there wouldn't be any emergencies without her.

* * *

First stop: the human village.

Eirin had some questions to ask – a biopsy, if you will; and due to certain events, bribery might be required. She picked up some natto to soothe her appetite in a healthy way. Then, she browsed the stalls for a gift, eventually selecting an orange-mint candy. It reminded her of a kagami mochi, but less seasonal, and it looked wonderfully sweet.

“An appropriate gift for a teacher, I think.”

She killed some time before the school's lunch hours by making a few deliveries: medicines for the older residents who couldn't visit the clinic themselves. Reisen would normally make these deliveries incognito, so seeing the good doctor in person was quite a rarity. The more wizened old residents, the venerable great-grandparents, winked at her conspiratorially – as if to say, “I know you haven't aged at all, but I won't say anything.”

But eventually, she had to begin her investigation. Eirin made her way towards the schoolhouse with purpose in her footsteps. She huffed and braced herself with as much courage as she could muster. She threw the door open and promptly bowed deeply, offering the candy in front of her.

“Kamishirasawa Keine! I'm here to apologize for shooting you!”

“Ahh, Eirin? Good morning, um, haven't we been over this...?”

* * *

“Eirin, you patched me up after all that, you know everything is - well, I'm still a bit annoyed, but everything's fine. Arrows don't hurt too badly.”

“I was just trying to get that phoenix girl off of the property. It was such an awful racket, and Kaguya had already died twice, and one of the trees was on fire and... I didn't expect you to be right behind her when she dodged.”

Keine giggled. “That's what I get for trying to smother a phoenix. One she starts battle, she's ruthless. The only way I've been able to stop her is by getting shot, eheheh.” She plucked off a piece of the candy delicately and savored it as they rested in the warm midday sun. “I wish those two could express their romance in a more normal way.”

Eirin threw back her head and groaned. “I can understand the self-destructive urges, but honestly. Reisen's away from the clinic repairing the place and putting out brushfires for days on end, every time they fight!” She mulled over the problem for a moment. “Keine, I don't suppose you could-”

“Talk to her about it?” Keine interrupted. ”You know Mokou. The fire's in her blood, it's her being. And more importantly, it's like a habit for the two of them, you know? It's their routine. Cool down and avoid each other, stew in their own anger, fight to the death, follow it up with kinky torture sex.” Eirin was taken aback at Keine's frankness in public, but she sounded like she was in her teaching mode. It sounded almost clinical. She could respect that. ”In any case, habits are easy to teach but impossible to unlearn. I would know.” She flung her arms at the schoolhouse and grunted.

“Troublesome students?” Eirin hummed.

“Absolutely impossible. One of the younger ones has taken to tapping-his-pencil-” she took another bite of the candy with each gesture - “constantly. And the leg jittering. And it's bad enough that hardly anybody showed up to this year's... oh, you don't need to hear all this.”

“I can sympathize, actually. I have an apprentice myself and she tends to get sidetracked at, ah, important moments.” Eirin added, “Squeamish, you know? Easily startled by strange things, and goodness knows we have a lot of those around here. I've only been letting her take notes for now, but eventually she needs to step in and practice.”

“Hm? I know I'd be squeamish if I had to deal with all that blood. I get the jitters every time one of the kids scrapes their knees.” Keine shivered.

“On the subject of the habits – the immortal troublemakers, I mean – I don't suppose you could occupy Mokou before their next spat?” Keine blinked. She didn't get it. “You know, in that way you two do in private?”

Keine's face turned from pale, to almost orange like the candy, to red, to bright pink. “Y-y-you – we don't - it's not like-”

Eirin winked. Keine wasn't in her teaching mode anymore, was she? “Nothing escapes those rabbits, they're a lot of gossip-mongers. They noticed you two having a bit of fun in the forest, after I patched you up.”

Keine closed her eyes and fell back. “I knew I was being too loud.”

Eirin read between the lines. “They just said you were making noise. Ohoho, did you need to get off-”

“STOP!!!” Keine gripped the grass to her sides, her face ruddy. “Listen, when I change on the full moon my body has - strange needs, okay!”

“Not while you're human though?”

Keine's blush started to recede. “Well, yes, but it's different. It's like my gut tells me I need something – why am I telling you this?”

_Something firm_ , she finished mentally. “Huhuu, you don't have to go on, you've embarrassed yourself plenty.” Keine covered her face. “I don't suppose you could occupy her with a bit of _that_ next time?”

“Well... it's not that simple, but I could persuade her to keep the fights away from Eientei's grounds.”

Eirin smiled. “Thanks, Keine. And I wouldn't mind examining your body when you're in that other form. You know. If you wanted to donate some of your time to science?”

Keine rolled her eyes. “You can't just ask people if you can cut them up and peek at their insides, Eirin.”

“Oh, no no, I meant the other kind of bodily examin-”

“STOP!!!!!”

* * *

Keine finished the orange candy, looked at the mint leaves for a moment, and popped them into her mouth thoughtfully. “This was a real treat, thank you Eirin. You're pleasant to talk to, when you're not on duty. Or shooting bystanders.”

Eirin started to bow apologetically, but Keine was giggling, so she diverted. “Keine, I actually had a question for you.”

She was about to head back to the schoolhouse, but she paused and plopped back down, scattering a bit of dust. “Shoot.”

“Have you heard of any comings-and-goings of that black-white magician? Or the kappa girl who does maintenance on the fountain, for that matter?”

“Ah, that sneaky duo. They've become close friends lately, it seems. Actually, I did spot them when I was on patrol.”

* * *

Eirin's next stop was at the Kirisame residence.

She hovered just above the treeline of the Forest of Magic, using the terrain for cover. Eirin spotted Alice's house from her visits to discuss the synthesis of certain strange dream medicines.

From there, she made wider circles, canvassing the area until she saw the peak of a smaller house above the treeline. “That's the one.”

She touched down just out of view and wove an invisibility spell over herself. She hid her movement by hovering above the grass. “I wonder if the two sneaks are home.”

She carefully navigated the yard of Marisa Kirisame's residence. Keine had informed her that she'd noticed the two conspirators sneaking towards the magician's tower in the woods every night. Really, though, it was a tumble down shack with piles of trash everywhere. The place was a mess, and the girl was clearly suffering with kleptomania and a hoarding impulse. It made the yard damn near impossible to navigate silently.

Finding no clues around the yard, she slid her way towards the nearest window. A few dirty cauldrons filled with noxious-looking mushrooms were scattered about. Next window, there were books stacked to the ceiling, wobbling precariously. At worst, the two sneaks may have noticed she was coming and gotten out of dodge. She cursed herself for not checking for wards around the dump before approaching.

Eirin was about to give up on the hovel when she heard a snatch of conversation.

“-second revision - - - blueprints?”

The voice was cheerful but measured, subtly mechanical. Someone business-minded, maybe an engineer. Probably the kappa.

Eirin probed around the foundation until she landed upon a pair of storm doors leading to the basement.

“-told us - - - just need - - - records-ze!”

Eirin pinched her brow. That's the Kirisame girl. She bent down to catch the conversation.

“Well, how you're going to get past that doctor is what I want to know.”

“No problem-ze! If I can sneak past the Unmoving Great Library herself, some run-down quack in the boonies shouldn't be any trouble!”

Eirin caught herself starting to growl in anger. That girl was unbearably cocky. Just because she beat her in combat once!

But the kappa sounded more practical about the situation. “Come on, Marisa. You know how smart she is, Eirin's a doctor! She's bound to have protective measures around the place. Especially around her records!”

Eirin's hair stood on end. They want to steal the records from that Nue girl, then? She forced open the doors at once.

“And what might you need my records for?”

* * *

Eirin took down the pair easily in their unprepared state. Shame about the basement walls after all that danmaku, though.

“Explain yourselves.”

Marisa wriggled against her bonds with some violence, but Nitori sat still, accepting that they'd been busted. She fessed up. “We were fishing for information at your clinic, Eirin.”

“And?”

“And nothin'-ze!” Marisa had some fight left in her. She grinned with pride. “We got important work to do, so hand over the files on Nue!”

Nitori hushed her loudly. “Marisa, we're not exactly in a position to bargain here!”

“No no, I'm quite curious. What _did_ you plan on doing with Nue Houjuu's records?”

Nothing. Marisa stuck her tongue out, and Nitori pouted, trying to make herself small. Eirin appealed to the scientist. “Nitori. I can respect what you do, your engineering and my medical practice are more similar than you'd expect, and you seem like a clever girl. Explain your plan and maybe I'll let you two off the hook.”

Nitori considered the alternative of being further knocked around by the older woman and she shuddered. “Okay, I fold.” Marisa made a ruckus, but Nitori ignored her. ”Listen, this wasn't our idea, okay?”

Eirin was more than okay with that. This was just the dirt she was looking for.

* * *

Eirin's last stop was the Moriya shrine.

The sun glowed low in the west, the sky was cloudless, and the mountain air was crisp. Eirin was far too focused to notice any of that. She had heard quite enough from the two little conspirators, and she had confiscated their blueprints. The doctor didn't like the look of what they were planning.

Sanae was sweeping the walkway. When she saw the look on Eirin's face, the young shrine maiden gave her a nod and scurried out of the way. Eirin wasn't exactly radiating a friendly aura. She ignored the shrine and stepped around to the back, towards the lake and its many strange pillars.

“Have you come to talk business, Yagokoro Eirin?”

Kanako Yasaka was hovering out over the lake, probably in meditation, silhouetted against the afternoon sun. She began moving towards the shore. Eirin waited for the guilty party to come to her.

“I've come to talk about your little crime syndicate, with the amateur thief and the tiny engineer, yes.”

The god smirked as she landed on the balls of her bare feet, with the confident grace of a dancer. The air was buzzing with hostility. “My, I didn't expect a wise woman like yourself to resort to insults,” she scoffed.

Eirin's eyes shot daggers at her. “You've earned them. It's not every day that a god puts mortals up to thievery. Let alone a god personally interfering with a medical practice. Is this lunacy a plan to help you gather faith?” She unfolded the blueprints.

They depicted a human form, certainly, but there were a few critical modifications. Six thick metal dowels, each designed to be a propulsion system, were grafted into the human's back with a bundle of wires and circuitry, tunneling deep into the nervous system. An array of spells prevented tissue rejection, kept the rods and circuitry maintained and rust-free, and provided the mechanism of flight. Eirin could appreciate the gruesome artistry, there was a certain craft to it, but it was so bulky and unwieldy that she doubted anyone could really use the phantom limbs without a great degree of physical habilitation. Even then, the spells wouldn't last forever. They needed her observations on H. E. Nuensis to finish it. They wanted to steal her privacy and her secrets.

They wanted to make wings from flesh and metal and mysteries, just like Nue's.

“You want to give a youkai's flight ability to the humans?”

“Don't think it so ludicrous, Eirin. I scouted that Nue girl in advance. She's fascinating, you know? What a strange way to fly, without any magic, with the wings coming right out of her own body like that. You'd almost think she was an alien.”

Eirin grit her teeth. Reisen had clearly revealed WAY too much. Damn this woman and her loaded questions. “The audacity... coming into my clinic, prying information from a nurse. What a wretched way to gather faith.”

The mountain goddess scoffed. “Wretched! It's just espionage, dear, and you're at fault for not preventing it.”

“Dishonesty won't get you any faith, Kanako. Neither will theft, and certainly not an insane plan to give the humans flight! None of this will even work!”

”I'm well aware.” She stepped closer. Eirin held her ground. ”That's why I'm willing to make you an offer here. How much are Nue's records worth to-”

Eirin snapped. She manifested her bow and blasted away one of the onibashira surrounding the lake. The fragments rained down into the cold waters. “Consider this a called shot. The next one pierces your chest.”

“My my, so violent. Here I was going to offer you a share of the glory for your notes.”

Eirin didn't flinch. “That girl derives her power from the unknown, from BEING unknown. She took me into her confidence, but your scheme would reveal all her secrets to the world. It would probably kill her. In any case, nothing you could offer would persuade me to break patient confidentiality. And don't even think you can probe me for information, I'm quite hardened to these base intrigues. I've been around plenty of schemers in my time.”

”You have a lot of pride to consider a bit of privacy more important than a fellow god's plans. This is all for the greater good!” Kanako spoke in a lofty manner as she held her arms outstretched towards the lake. The surface was still rippling with the debris' impact. ”I wish to uplift Man from his meek station, so he need not fear the youkai, the imps that torment him in the dark places.“

Eirin lowered her bow. “That gap youkai would never allow this, and _certainly_ not Reimu. She would sooner let you take over her shrine than permit you to make youkai hybrids out of the whole human village!” Eirin didn't rule that out, either – that this might be a scheme to cheat Reimu out of her own shrine. “They'll both come down on you like hellions.”

“That” - she stepped closer to Eirin with confidence, knocking her fist on a pillar - “is a bridge I'll burn when I get to it. Suwako?”

The ranine goddess hopped down from atop the pillar. Was she listening to all this? If so, she was complicit. The shrine maiden probably was as well. “The doctor's causing a lot of violence on our property, isn't she? That's no fun.”

“You'd go along with her ludicrous plan, Suwako?”

“Lucrative, maybe. But not ludicrous.” The frog-girl was clearly content to allow her 'sales manager' to do whatever she wished. “Regardless, we can't have you smashing the place to bits, hmm~m?”

With that, a great white serpent burst through the earth at Eirin's feet. She leapt back, raised her bow, and took a combat stance. This wasn't going to be a danmaku battle.

* * *

Eirin stumbled back to her clinic late that evening, the goddess of medicine having fought the conspiratorial gods to a stalemate. Thankfully for her, the shrine maiden had steered clear. She probably couldn't take on all three of them.

She burst through the doors, fumbled over to the desk, and flopped directly onto Reisen's lap. “Soft...”

“E-Eirin!! Did you get in a fight? Are you okay, do you need medical assistance?” The moon rabbit was both blushing and scared. She had a bruised, beaten up goddess lying on her lap.

“A bit of a spat, that's all. I can sleep this off. Seems like the gods of Earth pull their punches, or those two would have probably knocked me past the Hakurei barrier.”

She explained how she had “resolved” the situation with the Moriya shrine. “I put the frog back in the pond, but the snake woman had me pinned. I got out by threatening their shrine maiden. We won't be helping her at this clinic if she gets hurt.”

She heard Reisen take in a sharp breath. “But she's a mortal...”

“She's involved. Sanae draws on their power, after all, she's got to know about this. If she has moral objections, that's between them, but I can't allow any of that mountain trio near Eientei until they find another cockamamie idea to occupy their time. And we'd better watch for their pawns as well.” Hearing no response, she added, “There's other doctors in Gensokyo, anyway.”

Reisen assented. “I can't argue with you there.”

“We need to crack down on security around here, I can't be getting my hands dirty like this. It'll tarnish our reputation. Plus fighting is such a horrible inconvenience. Anyway, that scheming goddess is bound to come calling again, and I don't want to be caught at unawares.”

Eirin exhaled deeply and then realized she was exhaling directly into the moon rabbit's lap. She hid her blush as she moved to another chair. ”Ah, Reisen, how was your day?”

The moon rabbit raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips. “Well...”

* * *

## NOTICE – RESIDENTS OF EIENTEI

**Individuals** making inquiries about the medical records storage at the Eientei clinic should be referred to Yagokoro Eirin. Further inquiries should not be answered. In the event of an attempt to access the records storage, you are authorized to use force.

**Additionally** , entry to the grounds of Eientei and the clinic is not to be permitted to residents of the Moriya shrine. These individuals should be confronted and driven away on sight, and you are authorized to use force to repel them if necessary.

Please see Yagokoro Eirin if you have questions about the nature of this notice.

**Authorized by**

_Houraisan Kaguya_

**Author's Note:**

> So this happened suddenly.
> 
> I started drawing the diagrams and then I figured, I need to write up an explanation right? Eirin's medical notes... and then it became an article and now I have an idea for a long-term plot.
> 
> There's gonna be more.


End file.
